Gosh, I'm so surprised about this article from Peter Sissons. There was me thinking the BBC was the home of unbiased reporting and excellence...
Peter Sissons tell us:
By far the most popular and widely read newspapers at the BBC are The Guardian and The Independent. Producers refer to them routinely for the line to take on running stories, and for inspiration on which items to cover. In the later stages of my career, I lost count of the number of times I asked a producer for a brief on a story, only to be handed a copy of The Guardian and told ‘it’s all in there’.
If you want to read one of the few copies of the Daily Mail that find their way into the BBC newsroom, they are difficult to track down, and you would be advised not to make too much of a show of reading them. Wrap them in brown paper or a copy of The Guardian, would be my advice.
...
Whatever the United Nations is associated with is good — it is heresy to question any of its activities. The EU is also a good thing, but not quite as good as the UN. Soaking the rich is good, despite well-founded economic arguments that the more you tax, the less you get. And Government spending is a good thing, although most BBC people prefer to call it investment, in line with New Labour’s terminology.
...
All green and environmental groups are very good things. Al Gore is a saint. George Bush was a bad thing, and thick into the bargain. Obama was not just the Democratic Party’s candidate for the White House, he was the BBC’s. Blair was good, Brown bad, but the BBC has now lost interest in both.
...
But whatever your talent, sex or ethnicity, there’s one sure-fire way at a BBC promotions board to ensure you don’t get the job, indeed to bring your career to a grinding halt. And that’s if, when asked which post-war politician you most admire, you reply: ‘Margaret Thatcher’.
Peter Sissons tell us:
By far the most popular and widely read newspapers at the BBC are The Guardian and The Independent. Producers refer to them routinely for the line to take on running stories, and for inspiration on which items to cover. In the later stages of my career, I lost count of the number of times I asked a producer for a brief on a story, only to be handed a copy of The Guardian and told ‘it’s all in there’.
If you want to read one of the few copies of the Daily Mail that find their way into the BBC newsroom, they are difficult to track down, and you would be advised not to make too much of a show of reading them. Wrap them in brown paper or a copy of The Guardian, would be my advice.
...
Whatever the United Nations is associated with is good — it is heresy to question any of its activities. The EU is also a good thing, but not quite as good as the UN. Soaking the rich is good, despite well-founded economic arguments that the more you tax, the less you get. And Government spending is a good thing, although most BBC people prefer to call it investment, in line with New Labour’s terminology.
...
All green and environmental groups are very good things. Al Gore is a saint. George Bush was a bad thing, and thick into the bargain. Obama was not just the Democratic Party’s candidate for the White House, he was the BBC’s. Blair was good, Brown bad, but the BBC has now lost interest in both.
...
But whatever your talent, sex or ethnicity, there’s one sure-fire way at a BBC promotions board to ensure you don’t get the job, indeed to bring your career to a grinding halt. And that’s if, when asked which post-war politician you most admire, you reply: ‘Margaret Thatcher’.
17 comments:
Sorry Neal, I agree with them I don't want the Daily Mail anywhere near the BBC. To me its kind of a flawed argument that The BBC is biased because it doesn't use he most biased newspaper currently in print.
"which post-war politician you most admire, you reply: ‘Margaret Thatcher’"........I think i can see who is really biased.
It's supposed to be unbaised -balanced- that's part of its remit. When you consider that the readership of the Guardian is about 200,000 and rapidly dropping whilst the readership of the Daily Mail is 2 million and stable, Sissons' comments clearly demonstrate just how biased the BBC is. My preference would be for them to form their own views without reference to any newspaper. My preference would be for them to go out and find some real news rather than presenting us with the politically correct homogenized version.
The hate Thatcher meme of the 'left' is a demonstration of knee-jerk reaction rather than considered thought.
I see your point that they should be forming their own opinions. In essence being journalists. I think its a problem of the times. Lazy Journalism is pandemic.
Agree to disagree on Thatcher. I agree some lefties do just "hate Thatcher" because they feel they should, but some of us have good well thought out reasons for holding the same view.
Lazy journalism is a source of extreme annoyance to me. If you've seen the TV news once during a day, and sometimes during an entire week, there's no point in watching it again. And considering one of the newspapers mentioned: if you buy a copy of the Sun and a copy of the Daily Mail, you'll find that the former is just a 'lite' version of the latter - same stories.
This laziness (and advocacy) is brought home in spades by the Internet. So many times I read stories on various blogs and wonder why the hell TV news programs aren't reporting them. A prime example right now is what's been happening in the Okhotsk Sea.
This laziness (and advocacy) is brought home in spades by the Internet. So many times I read stories on various blogs and wonder why the hell TV news programs aren't reporting them.
Couldn't agree more. We are fed trite titbits and food for fear. And why can't we ever have news of thr great theings that we do, regardless of where they are being done. I'm not a conspiracy theorist by any stretch of the imagination. But it seems like control, control, control, think this, believe that, do as you are fucking told.
PS: My parents have fallen into the Daily Mail trap, and once reasonable people are now miserable grumpy racist curmudgeons, who repeat the crud they hear like it's gospel. So frustrating.
Nothing to do with this article but it is news based - check out this clip on Charlie Brooker explaining how to make a news report.
Clicky
"But it seems like control, control, control, think this, believe that, do as you are fucking told."
How do you make people give up their freedoms? First you make them afraid (which comes straight out of The Departure).
I read the Dail Mail, Graeme, but take it with a pinch of salt. I think one of the most valuable lessons I learnt in an English course many years ago (I've waffled about this before) was when we analysed the same story told from two different political perspectives e.g.from say the Mail & the Guardian, or the Mirror & the Sun. That's a lesson that should be compulsory in school.
Thatcher, she had some interesting policies, just like Ronald Reagan in sweeping scope of us and them.
like: "fuck 'em"
if anyone has something good to say about her that wasn't in the upper class in the 80s, please share. maybe i'm ignorant of her more than i think.
the only good thing about her that i can think of is her sticking up for the innovation of Telestar (by the Tornados) when even some of the band members chumped it. she supported abortion at one point (representing the majority, for once)(?) 2 odd facts shining in a sea of fuckup.
i've thought of her in the same light as Reagan, puppet tool for the minority upper crust.
I thought Thatcher was great for the country at that time. I am also from a working class background.
I wrote a bunch of stuff after this but thought I had better not, it turned out to be a rant about unions.
BBC journalism is not what it used to be. It is incredibly left wing and politically correct now.
The PC side of things is a form of censorship in my mind. If the reporters cannot speak their mind or the story be at odds with the left of centre ground the journalism cannot be unbiased.
One of the main claims about Margaret Thatcher is that she killed the coal mining industry. No, the likes of Arthur Scargill did that by using miners as pawns in a power play against government.
She also dragged the British economy out of a slump, forced unions to reform, gave people some pride in being home owners, sold off wasteful state industries and gave small businesses a big break. Then, of course, she started fucking up later on, intoxicated by her own power - a problem all long-term leaders have. She's hated because there's nothing left-wingers hate more than success that's not based on their own ideology.
bbc got a lot more biased after that labour fiasco a while back (something to do with the license fee and such) - what got me was when they were interviewing the leader of the student fee protestors and all the presenter would talk/ask about was what they would do about the violent perpetrators and how shocked, SHOCKED people were that camilla/charles' car had been kicked a few times. fucking idiot. and i don't watch bbc news anymore in disgust.
now as, obviously, another political tool brought to heel by successive governments it's usefulness as an impartial service has collapsed.
"I learnt in an English course many years ago ... was when we analysed the same story told from two different political perspectives .. That's a lesson that should be compulsory in school."
Absolutely agree. I know many many people who's views are completely rabbited out of the Sun. I try to always convert them to the pinch of salt approach you mention. With the internet today the facts are only a few clicks away. Its so easy to disprove/temper what's said in headlines especially the Mails Headlines (sorry) but almost equally the Mirror/Guardian side to.
"Then, of course, she started fucking up later on, intoxicated by her own power - a problem all long-term leaders have."
I agree again. I sometimes think America has it right 2 terms maximum.
ok so Thatcher pulled England out of a slump. was it because of the Falkland war spike? just askin. there's a concession in conservatism, we take this freedom and profile you with this super spy ware whose price tag you should ignore, but look: you have the right to be a good slave with a lil' tax break. not so bad eh?
the people i know who were living in Brighton complained non-stop about her conservative ways. it was a mirror of Ronnie Raygun in high heels to me. the lovewar (accessory) complex.
people going into England i knew at the time were detained because they might "influence society in a negative way" (they did get in eventually) including the confiscation of a few 'negative' books. my pals just look evil, they eat cats only when in China. c'mon.
Vaude, it's worse for people travelling to America right now - it hasn't changed with a Democrat in power.
No, it wasn't the Falklands that pulled Britain out of the slump, since it was already into economic recovery by then, but plain old common sense i.e. you can't keep spending what you haven't got and you can't keep taxing the nuts off those who generate wealth. A common sense that is sadly lacking now.
However, it is arguable that without North Sea oil it might not have happened.
British Petroleum for the win!
so how much of the stock does the Queen control of BP? can they yo yo the economy as seen fit?
'it's worse for people travelling to America right now - it hasn't changed with a Democrat in power.'
ya, Reagan never left here...
there is no difference between demorats and repiglicans. suited crooks, not even a mother can tell 'em apart. both have different military investments and citizen hammering terror tactics, only difference. how fast can you flush money down a toilet? Lockheed or Boeing? Bank of America or Chase? do not visit this ridiculous country (unless you are Neal Asher)(endless book inspiration over here Neal).
Line many lines above. Agreed. Or not read at all and live in blissful ignorance :-)
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